• 12/15/2025

    President Petr Pavel on Monday morning appointed the members of the government led by Andrej Babiš, the ANO party leader, at Prague Castle. The cabinet is formed by ANO, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists' parties. Babiš, returning to power almost exactly four years after leaving office, is to formally install the new ministers later in the day, while the cabinet is also holding its first largely technical meeting. ANO holds eight ministerial posts in addition to the prime minister. SPD has three ministers and the Motorists lead four ministries. Motorists’ leader Petr Macinka is temporarily in charge of both the foreign and environment ministries. The coalition controls 108 seats in the lower house and is expected to seek a confidence vote on January 13.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/15/2025

    Czech guard Vít Krejčí scored 19 points to help the Atlanta Hawks to a 120–117 win over Philadelphia in the NBA. The Strakonice native did most of his damage in the first half, pouring in 16 points, and finished with four three-pointers, four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes on the court. Krejčí sparked Atlanta in the opening quarter with an eight-point burst that helped build a double-digit lead. He added five points in the second quarter and hit a key three late in the third. Atlanta are eighth in the Eastern Conference, just behind Philadelphia, whom they have now beaten seven times in a row.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/15/2025

    Czech goaltender Jakub Dobeš made 27 saves to help Montreal to a 4–1 win over Edmonton and was named the game’s first star. The Canadiens goalie returned to the starting line-up after two games and was one of the key figures from the opening face-off, frustrating the Oilers’ star forwards for most of the night. Edmonton managed their only goal in the 53rd minute through Zach Hyman, cutting the deficit to 3–1. Montreal responded with a late fourth goal to seal the victory. It was Dobeš’s 11th win in his 18th appearance this season.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/15/2025

    President Petr Pavel appoints a new Czech government on Monday, led by ANO party leader Andrej Babiš and made up of ministers from ANO, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists' parties. The cabinet replaces the outgoing government of Petr Fiala and marks Andrej Babiš’s return to power almost four years after leaving office. ANO will hold eight ministerial posts in addition to the prime ministership, SPD will have three ministers and the Motorists four. The coalition controls a majority of 108 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and plans to seek a confidence vote in January. The government will initially take office without a full line-up, as Motorists’ nominee Filip Turek is absent due to health issues and ongoing controversy.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/14/2025

    A 12-year-old boy from the Zlín region, who had been missing since Thursday and was found on Saturday, was likely abducted and held captive in a cottage, Czech police said. His cries for help were heard by passers-by, who alerted officers. Police have detained one adult man in connection with the case. Police initially said the boy was unharmed, but later confirmed the circumstances were serious. Due to the victim’s age, officers said they would release only limited information and urged the public not to share the boy’s personal details. The search involved police, firefighters, volunteers and drones.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/14/2025

    Overcast skies with low cloud cover are expected, with fog forming in places at first, occasionally freezing. Light drizzle may occur, especially in Moravia, with freezing drizzle possible in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Daytime highs will range between 0 and 4 °C, rising to around 6 °C where sunshine breaks through.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/14/2025

    Customs officers have uncovered thousands of unlabelled tobacco products during inspections in the Cheb region of western Czechia. Both conventional and electronic cigarettes carried invalid or no excise markings, indicating an attempt to evade excise tax. At a shopping centre in Aš, officers found nearly 70,000 unlabelled cigarettes and almost one litre of liquid for disposable e-cigarettes in vehicles parked behind retail premises. The goods were valued at more than CZK 547,000, with the estimated tax loss close to CZK 325,000. In a separate check at a business in Pomezí nad Ohří, customs officers seized 1,480 disposable e-cigarettes worth over CZK 1.4 million. The potential excise tax loss was estimated at more than CZK 1.18 million.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/14/2025

    President Petr Pavel could not block Andrej Babiš from becoming prime minister, while Babiš could not openly say everything he thought during talks on resolving his conflict of interest, prominent constitutional lawyer Jan Kysela said. Speaking to Czech Radio Plus, Kysela said Pavel achieved what was realistically possible at this stage by insisting on a clear and understandable outline of how the conflict would be addressed. Kysela does not see the arrangement as an overt fraud, but neither does he view it as an act of great sacrifice by Babiš. He added that the entry of billionaires with legal and conflict-of-interest issues into top politics is a relatively new phenomenon, not unique to Czechia, and one that challenges earlier assumptions behind conflict-of-interest laws.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/14/2025

    The incoming coalition of ANO, the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Motorists’ parties wants to tighten the enforcement of child support payments. According to coalition lawmakers, changes to the Criminal Code taking effect on January 1 will make the current system ineffective. Senator Jana Mračková Vildumetzová of ANO said the new government, which takes office on Monday, plans to amend legislation approved this summer. Outgoing justice Minister Eva Decroix (Civic Democrats) urged the coalition to wait for an analysis of the new rules’ impact. Under the reform, non-payment of child support will no longer be a criminal offence in most cases, though interest on unpaid amounts has been increased.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 12/14/2025

    The Czech Interior Ministry has no information linking today’s attack on celebrations of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in Australia to Czechia, outgoing Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said. He added that police had already strengthened security at Jewish sites and places with large crowds at the start of Advent. Rakušan said Czech police remain on heightened alert and are ready to respond immediately if the situation changes.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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